Where Is Sherin Mathews? Father Arrested, Search Continues For Toddler

Three-year-old Sherin Mathews was left outside by her father as punishment for not drinking her milk. Photo: Twitter

A Texas community is pitching in to continue the search for a missing toddler who was reportedly left outside in the middle of the night as punishment for not drinking her milk. Three-year-old Sherin Mathews was last seen in the early morning Saturday by her father, Wesley Mathews. Mathews was arrested on charges of endangering a child but released after posting bail.

Following Mathews arrest, police in Richardson, Texas released new details about the timeline of the night Sherin disappeared, according to local television station KXAS-TV. Her father apparently made her stand beneath a tree about 100 feet from their home at 3:00 a.m. that morning because she would not drink her milk. When he returned 15 minutes later, she was gone. He then went out to search for her on his own but went back home when he couldn’t find her, said Richardson Police Sgt. Kevin Perlich. After returning home, he did a load of laundry before finally calling police at 8:12 a.m. Sherin’s mother was reportedly sleeping when she went missing.

Police issued an Amber Alert Saturday afternoon but canceled it Monday after no significant leads turned up in the case. Her father was arrested Saturday for endangering a child but was released Sunday on $250,000 bond. Both parents have retained attorneys – Sherin’s mother was not accused of any wrongdoing, while her father had not yet entered a plea in relation to charges leveled against him. Police, however, said both the mother and father stopped cooperating in the investigation, according to KXAS. An FBI team, meanwhile, was deployed Tuesday to search the family’s home.

“Why was the last sighting at 3 o’clock and the parents not call us until after 8 a.m.” Perlich told KXAS-TV. “That’s the question we want answered as well. As far as why she was out there, how long she was out there, that’s the questions we have for the parents.”

Sherin was adopted two years ago from an orphanage in India and has developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills, according to the Dallas Morning News. Texas Child Protective Services confirmed they had contact with the Mathews family in the past but would not elaborate on the details.

People in the community banded together to help authorities search for Sherin this week, while police said the search had expanded beyond the immediate neighborhood.

“I saw her on the news and learned about yesterday that she was left outside and wanted to come out and see if I could help,” Casey Urqhart told KXAS-TV. Urqhart was searching the neighborhood armed with equipment to lift storm drains that Sherin may have fallen into. “It’s a little girl, you know. It should matter to everyone.”

Police were checking on registered sex offenders in the area who might be connected to Sherin’s disappearance, but noted there was no evidence she had been kidnapped. Search teams and dogs were deployed to scour the area but unearthed no new leads in the case.

Sherin was last seen wearing a pink top, black pajama bottoms and pink flip-flops. She is 22 pounds and 3 feet tall. Anyone with information is asked to call 911.